The Athens City Schools Technology Students Association earned more than 20 awards at the recent Technology Student Association State Conference in Montgomery. The Athens High School chapter also earned the “Benjamin Eaton Outstanding School Alabama TSA Level II” award for the fourth year in a row.

Michael May and Andrew Risner, Athens High School TSA Advisors, were awarded The Michael Bradford TSA Advisor of the Year Award. This award recognizes advisors for their prominence and distinction in Alabama Technology Student Association.

Athens High School received the following student awards, including 3 gold medals, 7 silver medals and 8 bronze medals:

● Animatronics — Tyler Grose & Layton Romine — 3rd place

● Biotechnology Design — Kyra Nuss & Cynthia Vielma — 2nd place

● Catapult Design — Emerson Powless, Joshua Tanner, & Cooper Kiel — 3rd place

● Coding — Asa Savoie, Joshua Tanner, & Samuel Jordan — 3rd place

● Computer Aided Design 3D — Cooper Kiel — 2nd place

● Data Science & Analytics — James Leonard & Ricco Hipolito — 2nd place

● Digital Video Production — Cynthia Vielma & Kyra Nuss — 2nd place

● Essays on Technology — James Leonard — 3rd place

● Flight Endurance — Tyler Grose — 1st place

● Flight Endurance — Ricco Hipolito — 2nd place

● Flight Endurance — Asa Savoie — 3rd place

● Forensic Science — Lilli Hall & Cynthia Vielma — 1st place

● Prepared Presentation — Caroline Mallette — 2nd place

● Promotional Design — Landon Ruble — 1st place

● Safety Illustration — Holland Wood — 3rd place

● State Pin Contest — Lilli Hall — 3rd place

● Technology Problem Solving — Layton Romine & Ricco Hipolito — 2nd place

● Video Game Design — Emerson Powless, Holland Wood, Samuel Jordan, & Abram Lewis — 3rd place

Athens Middle School received the following student awards, including 1 gold, 1 silver, and 1 bronze medal:

● CAD Foundations — Nolan Davidson — 1st place

● CAD Foundations — William Holladay — 3rd place

● Problem Solving — Nolan Davidson and William Holladay — 2nd place

Technology Student Association is a Career and Technical Education Student Organization associated with our Engineering Academy. TSA provides opportunities related to leadership, technology, innovation, design, and engineering.

Special thank you to sponsors Michael May and Andrew Risner from Athens High School and Kimberly Gates from Athens Middle School for their support and dedication to our students and STEM!

Risner said, “We couldn’t be prouder of our hard-working students. We have awesome young men and women in our group who demonstrated teamwork and excellence at the TSA State Conference.”

“It takes everyone doing their part to win the overall award. I’m most proud that many students stepped outside of their comfort zone to compete in events that they normally wouldn’t have. It excites me to see growth and success from our young people. Also, I couldn’t ask for better co-advisors. Andrew and Kim are top-notch educators that truly care about making a difference. It’s a great day to be a Golden Eagle,” May added.

Athens Middle School students have placed 1st in CAD in all years attended (2017, 2018, 2019, 2022, 2023).

“I am so very proud of their hard work and how they represented Athens Middle School,” said Gates.